NOTE: THESE DRAFT GUIDELINES HAVE SINCE BEEN FINALISEDYOU CAN FIND A LINK TO THE FINAL VERSION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

For some months and in concert with SaskPower's November announcement of substantial new renewable energy targets, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment has been preparing guidelines for wind energy. These are designed to assist project developers in minimizing impacts on biodiversity in addition to public concerns over potential environmental impacts.

Yesterday the Ministry held a consultation meeting in Regina with interested wind developers. At that event we asked if we could circulate the draft guidelines and were encouraged to do so.

- A map of proposed 'avoidance zones' i.e. areas which are provisionally deemed to be ones of particular ecological significance which wind developers would be advised to avoid.

What next?

As previously noted (and as confirmed yesterday); SaskPower is planning to add 1,600 - 1,800 megawatts of new wind in the next 15 years. Consequently it wants to have its first wind energy Request For Proposal as soon as reasonably possible and is currently aiming for Spring 2017.

The Ministry of Environment would like to have these guidelines finalized well in advance of that date and as a result events are moving along at a swift pace.

The Ministry will be meeting with Environmental NGOs in the coming weeks to solicit their input. Any comments on these guidelines should be sent to the Ministry (contact details in the document) by mid June.

FYI the Ministry subsequently finalised the draft and released their new siting guidelines on 19 September 2016.